From Craft Freelancer To Online Retailer In 4 Steps

If you have chosen to switch from a craft hobby to the entrepreneur’s life, it may seem a little overwhelming at first for small freelancers to succeed in the retailer business. While retailing allows freelancers to bring their crafty creations to the market, it also means that the passionate Do-It-Yourselfer needs to adjust to the business pace. The question is simple: How does a crafter become a successful retailer? The answer is not as complicated as one might think. It’s all about planning ahead and bringing professionalism into craft and creation.

Get An ECommerce Website

For a start, most crafters tend to share their creations online, often on social media, but also via a website such as etsy.com for example. When you decide to build regular income from your craft business, it is time to expand your digital presence. What every business that sells online needs is a good ecommerce website – and if you know a thing or two about ecommerce, Shopify is a platform to consider. Small businesses can find free Shopify templates that have all the product and payment features than you can find on any professional e-retailer. To put it in other words, you can be professional without breaking the bank. Although, you will need professional pictures, which can require the support of a photographer.

Invest In A Safe Storage Area

Whatever you are selling, once it becomes a business, you need a place that is safe and secured to store your items and your craft material. From the moment when the craft hobby becomes a business, you need to have a storage area that is designed just for it. More and more small businesses are looking at the properties of steel buildings, such as armstrongsteel.com, to design their warehouse. The advantages of steel building are numerous, but to name just a few, let’s say that it is affordable, easy to build – you can even build it yourself – and high-quality. To this, you will need to take the essential H&S steps to ensure the safety of your building and yourself – and your team if your business is big enough. It’s important to carry out a risk assessment of your storage area, to make sure that it includes good ventilation and lighting, the necessary bathroom and functioning appliances, and safe electrical system.

Look Out For A Courier Deal

When you decide to build an income out of retailing, it’s important to consider also the shipping and delivery processes. As an independent crafter, you can rely on post offices. But as a business, your customers expect the services of a courier for speed and effectiveness. It’s the kind of deal that you can discuss in advance with couriers so that you are in a better position to set P&P prices on the website.

Make It Count

Finally, selling as a professional implies that you will need to create a sense of loyalty with your customers. While this might seem difficult to establish in the craft sector, using package inserts can go a very long way. Indeed, an insert gives you the possibility to place a flyer of your latest creations, write a personal thank-you note, or even add a free gift to the package. It’s a simple gesture that makes the customer feel special and encourages further purchases. You can even add a voucher code to prompt the next purchase.